U.S. patent application number 12/526335 was filed with the patent office on 2010-12-23 for connection structure and information processing apparatus.
Invention is credited to Ichiro Hatakeyama, Youichi Hidaka, Ichiro Ogura, Shigeyuki Yanagimachi.
Application Number | 20100321902 12/526335 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39759211 |
Filed Date | 2010-12-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100321902 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hatakeyama; Ichiro ; et
al. |
December 23, 2010 |
CONNECTION STRUCTURE AND INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS
Abstract
A connection structure includes housing (10) having
insertion/removal openings (11a, 12a) into which and from which a
plurality of CPU cards (6), in which electronic parts are mounted
on a circuit board, and switch cards (7) are inserted and removed,
back plane (13) to which cards (6, 7) are electrically connected,
and optical circuit board (14) that is optically connected to
optical connectors (16) which are arranged on cards (6, 7) so as to
be exposed to the outside of housing (10) from insertion/removal
openings (11a, 12a) with cards (6, 7) connected to back plane
(13).
Inventors: |
Hatakeyama; Ichiro; (Tokyo,
JP) ; Yanagimachi; Shigeyuki; (Tokyo, JP) ;
Hidaka; Youichi; (Tokyo, JP) ; Ogura; Ichiro;
(Tokyo, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Mr. Jackson Chen
6535 N. STATE HWY 161
IRVING
TX
75039
US
|
Family ID: |
39759211 |
Appl. No.: |
12/526335 |
Filed: |
November 26, 2007 |
PCT Filed: |
November 26, 2007 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/JP2007/072729 |
371 Date: |
August 7, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
361/752 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G02B 6/43 20130101; G06F
1/189 20130101; G06F 1/186 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
361/752 |
International
Class: |
H05K 5/00 20060101
H05K005/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 9, 2007 |
JP |
2007-060407 |
Claims
1. A connection structure comprising: a housing having a plurality
of insertion/removal openings to and from which a plurality of
function cards having electronic parts mounted on a circuit board
are inserted and removed; an interface board to which each of the
function cards is electrically connected; and an optical circuit
board that is optically connected to optical connectors which are
arranged on each function card so as to face the outside of the
housing from the insertion/removal openings, with each of the
function cards being electrically connected to the interface
board.
2. The connection structure according to claim 1, wherein each
function card has an electric connector for a control signal, a
power supply connector to which power is supplied, and the optical
connector for optical data transmission between the function cards,
and wherein the interface board has electric connectors for a
control signal to which the electric connectors of the respective
function cards are connected, and power supply connectors to which
the power supply connectors of the respective function cards are
connected.
3. The connection structure according to claim 1, wherein the
optical circuit board is provided to the housing.
4. The connection structure according to claim 3, wherein the
optical circuit board is arranged on a front side of the housing to
which the insertion/removal openings are arranged.
5. The connection structure according to claim 1, wherein the
optical circuit board is an optical circuit card that is inserted
and removed to and from the insertion/removal openings.
6. An information processing apparatus comprising the connection
structure according to claim 1.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a connection structure and
an information processing apparatus for optically connecting
function cards requiring high-capacity data processing and
transmission.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] In recent years, performance necessary for an information
processing apparatus such as computer has been remarkably
increased. For example, in a computer system, the performance of a
CPU (Central Processing Unit) thereof is rapidly improving the
amount of calculation that can be performed has also increased by
leaps and bounds. As an example of an information processing
apparatus related to the invention, a so-called blade server is
known in which one or more CPU cards, each formed by mounting a CPU
on a circuit board, are mounted in a housing and the CPU cards are
used for a linkage processing. The linkage processing between the
CPU cards is executed by the communication through switch cards
provided to the housing, by using an external interface (Ethernet
etc.) mounted to the CPU card.
[0003] A general structure of a blade server related to the
invention is shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, a front side of
housing 110 is provided with CPU card slots 111 to which CPU cards
106 are mounted and switch card slots 112 to which switch cards 107
are mounted. The blade server is structured in such a way that
switch cards 7 are mounted from the front side of housing 110,
which is a direction the same as CPU cards 106. For the blade
server, in order to reduce a maximum delay between CPU cards 106
and switch cards 107, which have an influence on linkage
processing, it is generally adopted that switch cards 107 are
arranged on a center of the front side positioned between
respective CPU cards 106.
[0004] Recently, as performance of the CPU is enhanced, data
transmission capacity is increased. As a result, even the Ethernet
that has communication speed of 10 Gbps is used, so that the
structure shown in FIG. 1 causes some problems. Generally, for
physical transmission of an Ethernet communication of 10 Gbps, an
electric interface of 2.5 Gbps.times.4 lanes referred to as XAUI
(10 Gbit Attachment Unit Interface) is used. The electric interface
has the transmission band of 2.5 Gbps per lane, so that the
transmission distance is reduced, as compared to the slow electric
signal (typically, for 2.5 Gbps, several centimeters are reduced).
Hence, a design is required for suppressing the performance
degradation of the linkage processing and for shortening the
distance between CPU cards 106 and switch cards 107 (distributing
length) as much as possible.
[0005] FIGS. 2A and 2B show a structure corresponding to high speed
data transmission between CPU cards 106 and switch cards 107. As
shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, in the structure, CPU cards 106 are
arranged to be attached and detached to and from the front side of
housing 110 and switch cards 107 are arranged to be attached and
detached to and from a backside of housing 110. Additionally, in
the structure, in order to shorten a distributing length to switch
cards 107 from respective CPU cards 106, a thickness direction of a
circuit board of switch card 107 is arranged to be perpendicular to
a thickness direction of a circuit board of CPU card 106. In other
words, switch card slots 112 of switch cards 107 are arranged so
that length directions of the insertion/removal openings thereof
are perpendicular to those of insertion/removal openings of CPU
card slots 111 of CPU cards 106.
[0006] Then, for the structure shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, structures
of each function card and a back plane (interface board) provided
to housing 110 will be described. CPU card 106 and switch card 107
are respectively provided with an electric connector for data
transmission (not shown), an electric connector for card control
signal transmission (not shown), a power supply connector (not
shown) and the like. In addition, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B,
housing 110 is provided with back plane 113 that transmits data and
a card control signal and that supplies power. Back plane 113 is
also provided with electric connectors 131 for data transmission,
electric connectors 132 for card control signal transmission, power
supply connectors 133 and the like to be electrically connected to
the respective electric connectors of CPU cards 106 and switch
cards 107.
[0007] However, in the structures as shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B, 3A and
3B, back plane 113 is filled with respective electric connectors
131, 132, 133. Due to this, ventilation holes 134 of back plane 113
are so small, so that the flow of cooling air is impeded in housing
110. As a result, it is difficult to mount a high performance CPU
having a relatively large heating value on CPU card 106 and to
improve the performance of information processing of the whole
system of the blade server.
[0008] Regarding this, a Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.
2003-121697 discloses a back plane in which a distributing length
is not limited as compared to the electric transmission system, an
optical transmission system capable of high speed and high capacity
data transmission is used and electric and optical connections are
mixed. FIG. 4 shows a structure of a back plane for a case where a
back plane having electric and optical connections mixed is used
for data transmission. As shown in FIG. 4, in back plane 140, only
for data transmission in which high speed data communication is
performed, is optical connection by optical connector 141 used.
However, for the card control signal transmission that uses a slow
signal having communication speed of 100 Mbps class, electric
transmission is used as in the prior art. In the structure of back
plane 140, the arrangement limitation on switch cards 107 is
relaxed. Hence, it is possible to arrange switch cards 107 as shown
in FIG. 1 and to enlarge the size of ventilation hole 134 as
compared to the structure shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
[0009] However, the above structure has the following problems.
[0010] First, in the information processing apparatus related to
the invention, in which the CPU cards and the switch cards
connecting the CPU cards are mounted and in which communication
between the CPU cards and the switch cards is performed by the
optical transmission, it is difficult to enhance the performance of
the information processing apparatus.
[0011] The reason is as follows: although it is possible to make
the size of the ventilation hole larger in the back plane, as
compared to the structure of the electric transmission, an area of
the back plane is still large. Due to this, the flow of cooling air
is impeded in the housing by the back plane, so that it is
difficult to mount a high performance LSI having a relatively large
heating value as a function card.
[0012] Second, in the information processing apparatus related to
the invention, in which the CPU cards and the switch cards
connecting the CPU cards are mounted and in which communication
between the CPU cards and the switch cards is performed by the
optical transmission, it is difficult to perform the maintenance of
the back plane having electric and optical connections mixed during
the operation thereof. Further, in case of performing maintenance
of the CPU cards, stopping the entire system of the information
processing apparatus, is required, and thus so that the maintenance
operation is troublesome.
[0013] The reason is as follows: the back plane having electric and
optical connections mixed is generally arranged on a location at
about 30 cm.about.50 cm from the front side of the housing, which
has the insertion/removal openings of the card slots arranged
thereon, toward the backside of the housing. In addition, the
interval of each CPU card has a relatively small pitch of about 20
mm. Due to this, in the information processing apparatus related to
the invention, when there occurs a problem during the operation, it
is difficult to remove any CPU card having the problem from the
card slot and to clean the optical connector of the corresponding
CPU card, which is arranged on the back plane.
[0014] An object of the invention is to provide a connection
structure and an information processing apparatus enabling
ventilation in a housing to be improved and the performance of
information processing to be enhanced and capable of improving an
operation ability when performing maintenance of an optical
connector.
[0015] In order to achieve the above object, a connection structure
related to the invention comprises a housing having a plurality of
insertion/removal openings to and from which a plurality of
function cards having electronic parts mounted on a circuit board
are inserted and removed; an interface board to which each of the
function cards is electrically connected; and an optical circuit
board that is optically connected to optical connectors which are
arranged on each function card so as to face the outside of the
housing from the insertion/removal openings, with each of the
function cards being electrically connected to the interface
board.
[0016] According to the connection structure as described above,
there are provided the interface card electrically connected to the
respective function cards and the optical circuit board optically
connected to the optical connectors of the respective function
cards, so that an occupying area of the connectors to connect to
the respective function cards is smaller on the interface board.
Thus, it is possible to secure a relatively larger air passage for
cooling in the housing. Due to this, it is possible to mount a high
performance LSI (integrated circuit) having a relatively large
heating value on the function card, so that it is possible to
improve the performance of information processing. In addition,
according to the connection structure, the optical circuit board is
provided independently of the interface board, and the optical
circuit board is connected to the respective function cards through
the optical connectors arranged on the respective function cards so
as to face the outside of the housing from the insertion/removal
openings, with the respective function cards being electrically
connected to the interface board. Hence, it is possible to easily
perform maintenance operation of the optical connector.
[0017] Furthermore, an information processing apparatus of the
invention comprises the connection structure described above.
[0018] Meanwhile, in the invention, the function card means a board
that comprises CPU cards having CPUs, which are electronic parts,
mounted on a circuit board and switch cards having switching
elements, which switch to a linkage processing which is executed by
the respective CPUs, mounted on the circuit board, and electronic
parts fetching various functions are mounted thereto. Additionally,
in the invention, the interface board refers to a board that
comprises a so-called back plane and has connectors electrically
connected to the connectors of the function cards.
[0019] According to the invention, a following first effect is
obtained: there is provided an optical circuit board optically
connected to the optical connectors arranged on the respective
function cards so as to face the outside of the housing from the
insertion/removal openings with the respective function cards being
electrically connected to the interface board, so that a relatively
larger air passage for cooling can be secured. Due to this, it is
possible to mount a high performance LSI (integrated circuit)
having a relatively large heating value on the function card, so
that the performance of information processing can be improved.
[0020] A second effect is as follows: only a function card that
experience a problem can be removed from the insertion/removal
opening and the optical connector of the corresponding function
card can be easily cleaned. Hence, it is possible to smoothly
perform the maintenance operation without stopping the entire
information processing apparatus.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a first configuration
example of an information processing apparatus related to the
invention.
[0022] FIG. 2A is a schematic view showing a front side of a
housing in a second configuration example of an information
processing apparatus related to the invention.
[0023] FIG. 2B is a schematic view showing a rear side of a housing
in a second configuration example of an information processing
apparatus related to the invention.
[0024] FIG. 3A is a front view showing a back plane provided to a
second configuration example of an information processing apparatus
related to the invention.
[0025] FIG. 3B is a rear view showing a back plane provided to a
second configuration example of an information processing apparatus
related to the invention.
[0026] FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a front side of a back
plane provided to a third configuration example of an information
processing apparatus related to the invention.
[0027] FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing an information processing
apparatus of a first exemplary embodiment.
[0028] FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a back plane provided to
an information processing apparatus of a first exemplary
embodiment.
[0029] FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing main parts of a second
exemplary embodiment.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0030] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the invention will be
specifically described.
[0031] The information processing apparatus of the exemplary
embodiments is an information processing apparatus having card
slots to which a variety of function cards, such as a CPU card
having a CPU that is mounted on a circuit board as an electronic
part, and a switch card having a switch element that is mounted on
a circuit board as an electronic part, are detachably mounted. The
information processing apparatus is applied to a so-called blade
server and the like.
First Exemplary Embodiment
[0032] FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing an information processing
apparatus according to a first exemplary embodiment. As shown in
FIG. 5, information processing apparatus 1 of this exemplary
embodiment comprises CPU card slots 11 to which CPU cards 6 are
detachably mounted, switch card slots 12 to which switch cards 7
are detachably mounted, and housing 10 which includes each of
insertion/removal openings 11a, 12a of each card slots 11, 12.
[0033] Further, information processing apparatus 1 has back plane
13, as an interface board, to which CPU cards 6 and switch cards 7
are electrically connected respectively, and has optical circuit
board 14 to which CPU cards 6 and switch cards 7 are optically
connected respectively.
[0034] Each of CPU cards 6 and switch cards 7 has an electric
connector for a control signal and a power supply connector to
which power is supplied from a power supply unit (not shown), which
are not shown. In addition, each of CPU cards 6 and switch cards 7
has optical connector 16 for optical data transmission between CPU
cards 6 and switch cards 7. Optical connectors 16 are arranged on
end faces of CPU cards 6 and switch cards 7 so as to face the
outside of housing 10 from insertion/removal openings 11a, 12a,
i.e., to be exposed to the outside with CPU cards 6 and switch
cards 7 mounted to card slots 11, 12 being electrically connected
to back plane 13.
[0035] Insertion/removal openings 11a, 12a of CPU card slots 11 and
switch card slots 12 are arranged on the front side of housing 10.
In order to shorten a distributing length to each switch card 7
from each CPU cards 6, CPU card slots 11 are arranged on each side
of the front side and switch card slots 12 are arranged on a center
of the front side. In other words, this exemplary embodiment has a
structure such that switch cards 7 are inserted and removed to and
from housing 10 from a direction that is the same as CPU cards 6,
as in the example related to the invention shown in FIG. 1.
[0036] FIG. 6 shows a structure of back plane 13 provided to
information processing apparatus 1 of the first exemplary
embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, back plane 13 has electric
connectors 13a for a control signal to which the electric
connectors of CPU cards 6 and switch cards 7 are connected, and has
power supply connectors 13b to which the power supply connectors of
CPU cards 6 and switch cards 7 are connected.
[0037] As shown in FIG. 5, optical circuit board 14 is arranged on
an upper side of housing 10 near to the front side of housing 10.
Optical circuit board 14 has a plurality of optical connectors 18
that are optically connected to respective optical connectors 16 of
CPU cards 6 and switch cards 7, and has a circuit board to which
respective optical connectors 18 are optically connected through
flexible connection lines 18a.
[0038] Optical connectors 18 of optical circuit board 14 are
respectively connected to optical connectors 16 of CPU cards 6 and
switch cards 7 mounted to card slots 11, 12, so that the optical
data transmission is performed between CPU cards 6 and switch cards
7.
[0039] In the meantime, optical circuit board 14 is not limited to
the structure that it is arranged on the upper side of housing 10.
In other words, the optical circuit board may be arranged on
another position of housing 10 as long as it is separately arranged
from back plane 13 which is arranged on the backside of housing
10.
[0040] According to this exemplary embodiment, because optical
connectors 18 for optically connecting CPU cards 6 and switch cards
7, are not arranged on back plane 13, it is possible to reduce an
area of back plane 13. Accordingly, it is possible to secure an air
passage for cooling that has a relatively large area, which is to
cool electric parts of CPU cards 6 and the like, around back plane
13 in housing 10.
[0041] According to the above structure, when operating information
processing apparatus 1, it is possible to remove only CPU card 6 or
switch card 7, which have a problem, from card slots 11, 12 and it
is possible to easily clean optical connectors 18 of function cards
6, 7 thereof. Hence, it is possible to smoothly perform a
maintenance operation without stopping the entire system of
information processing apparatus 1.
[0042] In addition, according to this exemplary embodiment, it is
possible to downsize back plane 13 since there is no optical
connector in back plane 13, as compared to the information
processing apparatus related to the invention shown in FIG. 4,
which comprises a back plane having electric and optical
connections which are mixed. As a result, it is possible to secure
a larger air passage for cooling CPU and the like in back plane 13.
Accordingly, since the ventilation is enhanced in housing 10, it is
possible to mount and use a high performance CPU having a
relatively large heating value on CPU card 6, so that it is
possible to enhance the processing performance of information
processing apparatus 1.
[0043] Further, according to information processing apparatus 1 of
this exemplary embodiment, because back plane 13 can be downsized,
it is possible to downsize entire information processing apparatus
1.
[0044] Additionally, information processing apparatus 1 of this
exemplary embodiment is very suitable for a connection structure in
a housing in which function cards requiring a relatively high
capacity of data processing and data transmission are optically
connected.
Second Exemplary Embodiment
[0045] FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing a structure of main parts
of an information processing apparatus of a second exemplary
embodiment. The second exemplary embodiment has the structure of an
optical circuit board different from that of the first exemplary
embodiment shown in FIG. 5. In the second exemplary embodiment, an
optical circuit board is comprised of an optical circuit card
comprising one function card in which an optical connector is
arranged on an end face of a front side of a housing. The optical
circuit card is structured in such a way that it is mounted to a
card slot arranged on the front side of the housing. Meanwhile, in
the second exemplary embodiment, the members that are the same as
those of the first exemplary embodiment are indicated by the same
reference numerals and descriptions thereof will be omitted.
[0046] As shown in FIG. 7, information processing apparatus 2 of
this exemplary embodiment comprises optical circuit card 24 to
which CPU cards 6 and switch cards 7 are optically connected, and
card slot 25 to which optical circuit card 24 is detachably
mounted.
[0047] Optical circuit card 24 comprises a plurality of optical
connectors 26 that are optically connected to respective optical
connectors 16 of CPU cards 6 and switch cards 7, and comprises a
circuit board to which optical connectors 26 are optically
connected through flexible connection lines 26a. Optical connectors
16 are arranged on an end face of optical circuit card 24 so as to
face the outside of housing 10 from insertion/removal opening 25a
with optical circuit card 24 being mounted to card slot 25.
[0048] Card slot 25 is arranged on the front side of housing 10 and
insertion/removal opening 25a into and from which optical circuit
card 24 is inserted and removed is provided to the front side.
[0049] In this exemplary embodiment, optical circuit card 24 is
mounted to card slot 25 and optical connectors 26 of optical
circuit card 24 are respectively connected to optical connectors 16
of CPU cards 6 and switch cards 7 mounted to card slots 11, 12, so
that the optical data transmission is performed between CPU cards 6
and switch cards 7.
[0050] Hence, according to this exemplary embodiment, it is
possible to obtain the effects of enhancing ventilation in housing
10, the performance of information processing and the maintenance
operation of optical connectors 16, 26, as in the first exemplary
embodiment.
[0051] Meanwhile, in this exemplary embodiment, the optical
connectors of the function card are arranged on the end face of the
function card so as to be exposed to the outside of the housing
from the insertion/removal openings, with the function card being
mounted to the card slot. However, the optical connectors of the
function card may be arranged on another position as long as the
position faces the outside of the housing and the optical
connectors can be easily connected to the position from the
outside.
[0052] While the invention has been shown and described with
reference to the exemplary embodiments thereof, the invention is
not limited thereto. In other words, it will be understood by those
skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be
made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention as defined by the appended claims.
[0053] This application claims the priority of Japanese Patent
Application No. 2007-060407 filed on Mar. 9, 2007, the disclosures
of which are incorporated herein by reference.
* * * * *